The 20th Century

In this introduction to 20th century literature we will examine an array of voices of various cultural and national identities articulating the fears, fantasies, and fictions of modern experience. As readers approaching the 21st century, we can look back upon one hundred years of colonial exploits, emergent nations, global wars, populist political awakenings, sexual revolutions, and rapid technological developments. We will question what ideas erupted within these massive historical shifts, how these issued were expressed in literature, and why these concerns might still relate to contemporary social and political affairs. Authors will likely include Toni Morrison, Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, Ralph Ellison, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and Sandra Cisneros. Course requirements include animated class participation, short response papers, and two longer critical essays.